Wharton Global High School Investment Competition · 2026–2027

Eligibility & application

Current secondary/pre-university students worldwide, normally U.S. grades 9–12; no high-school diploma earned before the September 28, 2026 start. The rules describe ages 14–18 as typical, rather than a separate universal age cutoff. Teams must maintain four to six active students, all at the same school and branch/campus; each student may compete on only one team. A student team leader must be at least 16 on September 28, 2026, opt into competition communications and handle deliverable submissions. Leader changes after the start require the advisor's written request and organizer approval. Penn faculty/staff children may participate if their parent/guardian is not a judge. Stock-market experience is not required. School-based teams need a teacher/educator advisor at their school/branch. Only the advisor registers; one advisor may oversee up to five teams, with no stated school-wide team cap. Advisors guide but cannot make students' trading/strategy decisions or complete their work. An unpaid parent/professional may be a secondary advisor; paid advisors, consultants/agents and non-Wharton courses claiming to teach this competition are prohibited. Advisor changes need prior written approval. Homeschooled/privately tutored students pursuing a diploma/GED/equivalent may participate. Entire homeschool teams need approval before registration; the FAQ describes community/co-op/online-school structure and a parent advisor. Homeschooled students may join a school team if they live in its district. At semifinals, supply dated intent-to-homeschool documentation, current homeschool-association ID or dated current-year curriculum-purchase proof. Confirm the approved advisor arrangement for a homeschool team. Registration has advisor-account and team-account steps; each person needs a unique email, while each team shares one simulator account. Required advisor information includes preferred and school-issued emails, school name/website and principal/head-of-school name/email. All team accounts had to exist by September 11, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET. Student names are collected in the October 9 roster. After the roster is submitted, no new members may be added; removals for extenuating circumstances need approval. Teams cannot contact the real competition client. Submit roster, school eligibility documentation, trading-notes analysis, Investment Policy Statement and comprehensive final report, and meet trading/activity rules supplied privately to registered teams. Judging assesses strategy, research, client fit and explanation rather than portfolio-return ranking. Top 50 advance to virtual semifinals, top ten to the global finale. Finalists need school-letterhead permission/affiliation verification; every team member participates. In-person finale teams need an accompanying adult; virtual participants supply live connection/equipment. Semifinal/final consent and liability/media waivers require a parent/guardian signature for under-18 students. Recording presentations or participants is prohibited. Cite sources and any AI-generated material; submitting others' or AI work as one's own, fabrication and cheating are excluded.

Worldwide · U.S. students eligible · hybrid · closed

Education level: high school

No registration or participation fee. In-person finale travel, lodging, meals, visas/other travel documents are the participants’ responsibility; no organizer travel funding or visa sponsorship. Qualified teams may attend the finale virtually with their own equipment/internet. Recognition includes conditional digital badges/certificates and online-course/program benefits; course eligibility still applies, prizes are not cash-redeemable and future-cycle fast-tracking has separate deliverable requirements.

Ten-week trading/analysis period from September 28 through December 4, 2026, with team-chosen weekly effort and four required deliverables plus school documentation. Further presentations are conditional on selection.

Published dates

Unannounced dates are kept pending. Dated history is included when you add a program; reminders apply to future dates. Date-only events do not have an invented cutoff time. The organizer confirms final eligibility and availability.

Official evidence